Vice President JD Vance took centre stage at the Republican convention in Dallas on Thursday in a speech seen as an early test of his 2028 White House prospects, offering a message of nationalistic pride that resonated with the pro-Trump crowd. As party leaders grapple with slipping approval ratings and uncertainty over November's midterm elections, they are also looking for signs of who might eventually carry President Donald Trump's movement forward. Trump, who followed Vance to the stage with closing remarks, offered little commentary on his vice president's high-profile appearance, instead imploring supporters to vote Republican on November 3, the stated purpose of the first-of-its-kind midterm convention. The president has yet to signal who he would back in 2028, though Republicans frequently speculate about whether Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio is best positioned to lead the party after he leaves office.

With Trump constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, Vance is widely regarded as a leading contender for the nomination. He spoke of an "American birthright" to safety and prosperity that he said Democrats opposed. "Don't give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here and there," Vance said, reinforcing a convention theme that cast Republicans as the party of common sense and Democrats as the party of "crazy." Vance's 40-minute speech stayed largely on script, unlike Trump's free-wheeling speaking style, and at times resembled a presidential nominating convention speech.

But in one apparently spontaneous moment, a protester waved a Mexican flag, prompting Vance to respond, "Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there," triggering a loud round of applause and chants of "USA, USA, USA." Vance then offered to buy the man a plane ticket. Supporters cited the 42-year-old's youth and appeal to grassroots activists as reasons he is well positioned to advance the party's populist, anti-establishment agenda once Trump leaves the political stage. Some in the crowd chanted "48, 48," suggesting Vance could become the country's 48th president in 2028, but Vance said Republicans first needed to concentrate on winning the November midterm elections.

Throughout the two-day gathering, speakers sought to energise Republican voters by focusing on immigration, crime and cultural issues, as the party confronts questions about its future beyond Trump. Listing what he considered the ills of life under Democratic President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025, Vance said, "We were tired of being called racist for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer and less safe and less prosperous." There was less emphasis on issues that voters tell pollsters they are most concerned about, such as the economy, especially inflation and the cost of living.